Perforated-tape reproducer.



C. G. ASHLEY.

PERFORATED TAPE REPRODUCER.

APPLICATION FILED r1213. 1a, 1913.

1,120,356, Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

VITA/C5555.- [/vvE/vToR,

, UNITED STATES PATENT oEErcE.

CHARLES G. ASHLEY, DIE TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOB TO GENERALENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, LIMITED, 01? TORONTO, ONTARIO,CANADA, A CORPORATION OF ONTARIO.

PEBFORA'IED-TAPE REPRODUCER.

Specification of Letters l'aten-t.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

Application filed February 13, 1913. Serial No. 748,157.

To all whom it may concern 1 Be it known that I, CHARLES G. ASHLEY,

- a citizen of the United States of America,

and a resident of the city of Toronto, county of York, and Province ofOntario, Canada, have invented a new and useful Improvement inPerforated-Tape Reproducers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to perforating mechanisms and pertains especiallyto that class of such mechanisms which are electrically controlled andoperated and which are utilized especially in the preparation ofperforated tapes for printing telegraph systems and the like.

The principal object of my invention comprises producing a device bymeans of which a transmitting tape, such as. is used by well knownautomatic printing telegraph sys tems, may be reproduced either locallyor at a distance, that such reproduced tape-may be used as atransmitting tape in the switching and manual relaying of messages.

One of the chief requirements for the proper operation of a device ofthis nature is that the operation of tape reproduction I be accomplishedin substantially the same time interval as that required for thereception of the received printed message, that the transmitting speedneed not be lowered when it is desired to produce a reproduction. of thetransmitting tape. I realize this feature and the above mentionedresults by providing a novel system of apparatus and circuits by meansof which the weak or relatively weak line impulses are utilized torelease locally stored electrical energy of suflicient power to operatethe reproduction punch.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specification,and in which like reference numerals designate corresponding parts, Ihave illustrated 'in diagram the apparatus and circuits of 111 improveddevice in such manner as to 0 early ring out the operative relations ofthe various parts of the same.

In the following description the apparatus controlling the reproductionof tape, or that is the apparatus which reduces the master tape toelectrical impulses for the purpose of operatin the reproductionapparatus, I will call t e transmitter or transmitting apparatus. Thereproduction apparatus will designate as the receiver or receivlngapparatus, and throughout the specification it should be borne in mindthat the act of reproduction may be performed in the same locality asthe act of transmission, or it may be performed at any distance fromsuch act of transmission.

In the drawing the transmitting apparatus and its local circuits areshown at the right, while the receiving apparatus and its assoclatedcircuits are illustrated at the left, the circuits of the one beinconnected with the circuits of the other t rough the conductors 21 and22 which may or may not be line conductors as the case may be.

The transmitter 100 comprises an alternatlng current motor 12 connectedthrough leads 10 and 11 with any source of alternatmg current. The motorbears loosely sleeved upon its shaft 7 a ratchet wheel 1 'and tape drum3 which are rigidly attached to each other. The ratchet wheel 1 and tapedrum 3 are connected to the shaft 7 by a spring 2 and are rotated by themotor 12 and said spring connection, thus the motor 12 1s merely a meansfor winding the spring 2 and storing energy therein to rotate theratchet wheel and drum, consequently the motor 12, as far as driving isconcerned, may 0bV1011Sly be operated either by direct or alternatingcurrent.

Armature 6 is pivoted in a slot through the permanent magnet 8 and isinclosed for a portion of its length by a coil 9 which is connectedthrough leads 10 and 11-to a supply of alternating current. Theextremity of the armature 6 which extends above the polarizing magnet 8bears a pair of detent pawls, the relation of which to the ratchet wheel1 is such that each vibration of the armature 6releases the ratchetWheel 1 and allows the tape drum 3 to rotate a distance equal to' halfof the distance between any two teeth of the ratchet wheel 1. The coil9, connected to leads 10 and 11, when energized by alternating currentcauses armature 6 to vibrate in synchronism with the operatingalternating current and releases the ratchet wheel 1 to rotate in stepwith the alternations of the current. The transformer 18 is connectedthrough its primary 17 with this same source of alternatmg current andinduces current in its secondary 16 which is of the same frequency asthe ratchet operating current. The secondary 16 of the transformer 18 isgrounded at one terminal and its other terminal is connected to a platen13, upon which the line brushes 14 and rest with the transmitting ormaster tape 5 between. The tape drum 3 has a median row of teeth 4adapted to engage the median row'of holes in the tape 5 ratchet wheel 1.Thus the tape 5, when in-z troduced between the brushes and theplatenand placed so that its median rowof perforationsis engaged by theteeth 4 of the drum 3 always allowscontact of the brushes 14 and 15 withthe platen 13' thrdugh the centers of a transverse row of perforationsin the tape at instants when the tape drum- '3 is stationary. 'Eachvibration of the armature 6 moves the tape 5.one transmitting tape unitand brings the center of another transverse row of perforations tocoincide with the contact line of the brushes 14 and 15 and the platen13.

Through resistances v voltage alternating current curb "is sent to theline conductors'21 and 22 continuously from the secondary 16 oftransformer 18,

which current serves to'operate the receiv-.

' ing tape stepping device as will hereinafter be described, and furtherin the case where wthe transmitter and receiver are separated Y fromeach other by a relatively great dis- 4 tance, this current serves tomaintain an electrostatically clear line, the advantage of which'is wellknown. Thus the transmitter com rises means for "impressing on the linecon uctors at all times am alternating current of definite frequencyandrelatively low voltageand at predetermined instantsde- V pending'uponthe spacing of the perforations in the transmitting tape, automaticallyamplifying certain half waves of this constantly applied alternatingcurrent and thereby transmitting to the line current imulses ofrelatively high voltage, which are in phase with the constantly appliedalter-v natmg current of low voltage.

$0 The receiver or tape reproducer comprises a direct current electricmotor 48 upon the shaft 49 of which is sleeved frictionally a tape drum52 and ratchet wheel 50. The tape drum 52 and ratchet wheel 50 $5 arerigidly connected together and are ordifrom the axis of the shaft 7which is com-.

l terminal-of the condensers 43,44 45 and 46 .are'conne'cted togetherand to the positive terminal of battery 47. Thus the condensers 19 and20v a lower slot through the permanent-magnet 55 and 7c is furtherinclosed for a length by the coil 54. v i

A pair of relays 31 and 33 are connected portion 03% its v in series andto line conductor 21. Another pair'of relays 32 and 34 are likewiseconnec'ted in series and to line conductor 22, and the relays thuspaired are connected. together and to one terminal of the coil 54," theother terminal of which. is grounded. Relays 31, 32, 33 and 34 arepolarized as indicated by. the letters near the extremities of theircores. Further, these relays are so wound as'to remain unresponsive tothe curb current hitherto mentioned, but are wound to respond to theamplified currents transmitted from the secondary of transformer 18through brushes 14 and 15. An armatut'e as" 23, 24, 25 andf26 ismaintained opposite each of the relays 31, 32, 3.3 and 34 re'spectivelyandis held against a contact' as 35, 37, 39 and 41 respectively by meansof springs 27, 28, 29 and 30- respectively.

'These contacts are all connected together and to the negative terminalor a battery or other source of direct current supply 47 9 whichlikewise supplies current for them tor 48 as indicated in the drawing.The armatures 23, 24, '25, 26 are' connected to one respectively, theother terminals of which 10 are all charged to the potential of thebattery 47 through the arinatures 23,24, 25, 26

and contacts 35, 39, 37 41. The contacts 36 and 40 of the polarizedrelays 23 and 25 are connected together and to one terminal of one of apair of punch operating magnets. as

69, the remaining terminal of which is connected to the conductor'joining the terminals of the condensers." The contacts 38 and 42 ofpolarized relays P32 and 34am .likewise connected together andtooneterminal of electromagnet 68' of the -pairof punch operating'magnets, while the other terminal of this e ectromagnet islikewiseconnected to thelconductor joining the condenser termi he s.

' A bell-crank-shaped armature as 62 and 63 is maintained 0 posite thepunch o erat- 3120 ing magnets 69 an 68respectlvelyan each of thesearmatures are normally restrained against a back sto as 66 and 67'respectively by means of t e-sp'rings 64 and 65 respective posite a die59. A tape 56, provided with a median rowoif perforations, is carried ona 1130 y. The short arm of each of the 11% armatures 62 and 63.ispivoted'to a punch I tape reel 57 and is drawn between the guide '58 and.the die 59 by means of the teeth 51 on the tape drum 52. The spacing ofthe punches 60 and 61with respect to each other and the relation of thedie 59 is such to the tape 56 that the operation of the punchesperforates two longitudinal rows of perforations in the tape, which arespaced a distance from the central row of perforations which correspondsto the spacing of the longitudinal rows of perforations from the medianrow in the master tape 5. v

The operation of the device is as follows: Conceive the motor 12 to besupplied with alternating current, and the motor 48 to be supplied withdirect current, and both to be operating to attempt to rotate theratchet wheels which they bear. Then an alternating current applied tothe coil 9 of the transmitter operates armature 6 to release the ratchetwheel 1 to carry tape 5 under the brushes 14. and 15 from left to rightas viewed in the drawing, while an alternating current in phase with theratchet operating current and of low voltage is sent to the lineconductors 21 and. 22, which traverses but, as hitherto mentioned, doesnot operate po-. larized relays 31, 32, 33, 34, and which likewisetraverses coil 54 of the receiver stepping device to operate armature 53to intermittently release ratchet wheel 50 in synchronism with themotion of ratchet wheel 1. Thus operating both ratchet wheel 1 andratchet wheel 50 in synchronism with the alternations of the curbcurrent. As the currents operating armature 6 of the transmitter andarmature 53 of the receiver are of the same frequency, it is obviousthat if the tape drums 3 and 52 be of equal diameter the master tape 5'and the receiving tape 56 will be moved through equal lineal distancesin the same time intervals. As the tape 5 is drawn through thetransmitter, contact is made byeither brush 14 or 15 with the platen 13as the case may be, which allows an amplified half current Wave of thecurb current to traverse line conductors 21 and 22 as the case may bedependent upon which of the brushes 14 or 15 are making contact withplaten 13. This am lified current traverses a pair of the polarizedrelays and one or the other of the pair of relays, depending upon thedirection of the current flow, will be energized to induce in its coremagnetism which will build up the polarizing magnetism therein to avalue which will cause the armatures'associated with that re-.

lay to o erate to disconnect the condenser associate with that armaturefrom the battery 47 and to connect this condenser in series with one orthe other of the punch operating electroma ets as 69 and 68110 thusdischarge the con enser through the coil of this electromagnet tooperate its associated armature and perforate the tape 56. Thus theperforations in the tape 5 are repromakes contact with the platen. Andas the amplified currents which operate the tape perforator are in phasewith the ratchet wheel operating currents, it follows that thereproduced perforations will be spaced as the perforations in the mastertape.

In the specified embodiment of my device herein disclosed Lhaveillustrated but two punches adapted to reproduce the master tape, whichcomprises two longitudinal rows of operating perforations, but it isobvious that more line brushes may be provided on the transmitter andthat the apparatus of the receiver may be duplicated to accomplish thereproduction of a master tape of any number of longitudinal rows ofperforations.

Having thus described my invention, which I claim as new and desire tosecure by lUnited States Letters Patent, is as folows:-

1. In a perforated tape reproducer, a mas-- ter tape, meansfor reducingerforations therein to electrical current impulses, a source of current,condensive means for storing same, a record tape, means associatedtherewith for perforating the same and means for utilizing saidelectrical current impulses to release energy from said storage means tooperate said perforating means to perforate said record tape.

. 2. In a perforated tape reproducer, a first set of electromagnets, asecond set of electromagnets, a plurality of tape punches operated bysaid second set of electromagnets, means for operating said first set ofelectromagnets to release condensively stored electrical energy toenergize selectively the magnets of said second set of'electromagnets tooperate said tape punches selectively.

3. In a perforated tape reproducer, a transmission line, means for enerizing said line with current impulses in predetermined code, means forreceiving said impulses, a plurality of electromagnets, a plurality oftape punches operated thereby and means for utilizing said currentimpulses to release condensively stored electrical energy to energizesaid electromagnets selectively to operate said tape punches.

4. In a perforated tape reproducer, a transmission line, a pair 0 relaysassociated with-each conductor of said line, a condenser associated witheach. of said relays, a pa1r of electromagnets, a tape punch associatedwith each of said magnets,. a source of current with which saidcondensers are normally connected, and means for transmitting over saidtransmission line current impulses to energize said relays selectivelyto disconnect any one of said condensers from said. source of currentand. discharge said condensers through one of said pair ofelectromagnets to operate the tape unch which it controls.

5. Ina perfora tape reprodu'cer, a master tape,- a record tape, meansfor imparting intermittent motion to said master tape, means associatedwith said master tape moving means to move said record tape in syn-[chronism with said master tape, means for transforming the perforationsin said master tape to current impulses and means for uti izing saidcurrent impulses to perforate said record tape.

6. In a perforatedtape reproducer, a mas-- ter tape, aiecord tape, meansfor imparting intermittent motion to said master tape, means associatedwith said master tape moving means to move said record tape insynchroni'sm with said master tape, means for transforming theperforations in said master tape to current impulses, a source ofcurrent supply, a means for storing the same and means for utilizingsaid current may ma am means associated with said master tape movmgmeans to move 'sald record tape lnsynchronism with said master tape,means for transforming the perforations in said 'master tape to currentimpulses, a plurality of electromagnets, a .plurality of tape punchesoperated thereby, a source of currentsupply, means for storing thesameand means for utilizing said current impulses to release current fromsaid storing means to energize selectively said electromagnets tooperate said tape punches selectively to perforate said record tape.

Signed by me at lforonto, count of York and Province of Ontario, (Janaa, in the presence of two witnesses.

A, cnannns e. ASHLEY. a; Witnesses:

ELL. Nnwsomn, H. B. Cesarean...

